Candleholder



Oct. 15, 1957 D. A. HARTNETT CANDLEHOLDER Filed March 23, 1956 00mm A. HARM/5T7 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent "ice CANDLEHOLDER Donald A. Hartnett, Fort Worth, Tex. Application March 23, 1956, Serial No. 573,432

1 Claim. 01. 67-23) This invention relates to candlesticks and has reference to a holder for promoting the complete combustion of candles, particularly candles used in church services. The canons of some religious denominations require that candles so used be composed of specific amounts of beeswax which increase the expense of the candles and thereby make complete combustion economically desirable. Aside from the stated economic and canonical considerations, it is desirable that replacement of candles be accomplished without the cleaning of each candle holder.

An object of the present invention is to provide a holder for candles which promotes the complete combustion thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder for candles which may be removed from a candlestick with unconsumed portions of a candle and which holder may be subsequently replaced upon a candlestick to permit further burning of the candle.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a candleholder which permits complete or nearly complete combustion of a candle and thereby avoids the shipment of unconsumed remnants of candles to manufacturers for remolding.

A further object of the invention is to provide a candleholder which is quick and easy to remove from a candlestick and which prevents the accumulation of candle drippings on the surface of a candlestick.

Another object of the invention is to provide a candleholder which may be adapted to receive candles of various diameters and lengths.

Another object is to provide a disposable and inexpensive fireproof liner for the drip pan of a candleholder.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a candlestick, a candle and a candleholder as defined herein.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a candleholder embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a wick, wick holder and disposable dish shown with a nearly completely consumed candle in accordance with the invention.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a wick holder for a candleholder as described herein.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of a candle and a wick holder with a portion of the wick holder indicated by dotted lines.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a candle having a conventional wick support, and which support may be used as a component part of the invention.

In the drawing, a candlestick 10 comprising a laterally expanded base 11, a vertical support 12, an internally tapered socket 13, and an outwardly flanged lip 14 integral with the upper edge of the socket is shown receiving and supporting a candleholder 15 which, in turn, receives and supports a candle 16.

As illustrated in Figure 2 the candleholder 15 is constructed in three detachable parts, namely, a bowl 17, a

flexible fireproof dish 18, and a wick supporting member 19. The lower extremity of the bowl 17 is a tapered shank 20 adapted to be received by the socket 13 at the upper end of the candlestick 10. A shoulder 21 is constructed integral with the periphery of the upper end of the shank 20 and is adapted to rest on the candlestick lip 14. A resilient adapter in the shape of a hollow truncated cone may be used on the tapered shank 20 whereby the candleholder may be quietly and conveniently replaced in the socket 13. The upper edge 23 of the bowl 17 lies in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the principal axis of the shoulder. 21 and the shank 20. The upper surface 24 of the bowl 17 inclines inwardly and downwardly of the upper edge 23 and forms a relatively flat circular area 25 at'the approximate center of the bowl. A plurality of pins 26 spaced from each other and from the center of the flat surface 25 of the bowl 17 are attached to the upper surface 24 and project vertically therefrom. Preferably, the bowl 17 is constructed of metal but other materials such as wood, glass or ceramic material may be used.

The dish 18 is constructed of metal foil or other thin non-inflammable material and conforms substantially with the shape of the interior surface 24 of the bowl 17. The dish 18 is preferably made from a flat annular piece of metal foil and the surfaces 27 of the dish 18 are inclined in conformity with the interior surface 24 of the bowl 117 by the formation of regularly spaced radial folds or crimps 29 in the body of the foil.

The wick supporting member 19 is essentially a metallic disk 30 provided with a plurality of holes 31 adapted to accommodate the vertical pins 26 and has two substantially semicircular portions of the body of the disk 30 bent upward in a disposition parallel to one another to form wick supports 33.

In operation, the shank 20 is placed within the socket 13 of the candlestick 10 and a dish 18 is placed within the bowl 17 so that pins 26 extend upwardly therethrough. The wick supporting member 19 is placed against the bottom of a candle so that the two wick supports 33 are positioned at opposite sides of the lower end of the candle wick 34. The wick supports 33 are then pressed into the lower end of a candle 16 so that the wick supports 33 are embedded within the lower end of a candle by manual pressure. The candle 16 and wick supporting member 19 are then placed within the bowl 17 so that the upper ends of the pins 26 are positioned in the holes 31 in the wick supporting member 19. The candle 16 is then pressed downwardly into the bowl 17 and the pins 26 are impressed into the body of the candle and the wick supporting member 19 is brought in contact with the upper surface of the flexible dish 18. When the candle is burned drippings from the body of the candle are collected within the dish 18. As the candle nears complete combustion and the lower portions of the body of the candle become soft and pliable from heat of the flame, the wick supports 33 maintain the unignited part of the wick in an upright position so that the wick will not become submerged in liquid wax and so that combustion can continue. The inclined surfaces 27 of the dish 18 cause unburned portions of wax to migrate toward the wick and promote further combustion. If replacement of a candle is desired before that candle has been exhausted, the candleholder 15 may be removed with the candle still in place and another candle and candleholder may be placed in the vacated candlestick 10. If desired, a partially burned candle 16 may be removed from the bowl 17 by raising the same and the flexible dish 18, and thereby lifting the wick supporting member 19 and dish ofl the pins 26. A new candle with wick supporting member 19 and dish 18 may then be placed within the bowl 17 as described.

In certain candles with conventional wick supporting means 35, the candleholder 15 may be used without the wick supporting member 19 by placing 'the'fle'Xible dish 18 into a bowl 17 and pressing the lower end of a candle downward upon the pins 26 so as to holdthe candle inan upright position. Usually suchwick""sn poriin rneans comprise athin square metal fplate'lwith' -corners turned upwardly 'intothe .bo'dy of the Candle "and with I central portions ofthe plate severed and bent' to bear upon a wick. f

Theihvention is not'liinit'ed to'theexerr'iplary construction-herein shown and described, but may bemade in various wa'ys'within the scope "of theiap'pended claim.

[What is claimed is:

'In a cand1eholder,"the combination of a'bowl provided with a tapered shankflprojecting"downwardly from .its lower.surfaceand'adapted to he received with the socket ofa candlestick, a plliralityofpins spaced from the center of the upper surfaceof' said bowl and projecting vertically therefrom, a dish adapted to fit in said bowl and to conform with the upper surface thereof, said dish having openings therethrough to accommodate said plurality of pins, and a wick supporting member adapted to be received in the body of a candle and arranged to engage the lower end of the candle wick, said wick supporting member being comprised of a disk having holes near the periphery thereof for accommodating said vertical pins and including projections near the center thereof for 10 engaging the lower end of the candle wick.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,795,657 Chersky Aug. 22, 1916 1,267,968 Bulle May 28, 1918 2,240,071 Gisolfi Apr. 29, 1941 

